Robinsons Land Corp.

Robinsons Land Corp.

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Q1 FY2026 · Earnings Call TranscriptMay 11, 2026

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon and thank you for joining us in our first quarter analyst briefing. Joining us today are our President and CEO, Ms.

Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio; Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates divisions, Mr.

Faraday D. Go; our Chief Financial Officer, Mr.

Kerwin Tan; and our Chief Strategist, Ramon Rivero, and the rest of the IR team. Presenting for today is Mr.

Kerwin Tan and also Mr. Ramon Rivero.

After the presentation, we will open the floor for the Q&A session. Before we proceed, I'd like to draw your attention to this disclaimer for a couple of seconds.

We encourage you to review our disclosure and refer to our official filings for more detailed information. Now let's start the presentation.

Mr. Kerwin, you may begin.

Kerwin Tan

Robinsons Land remains committed to strengthening its diversified portfolio and broadening its nationwide footprint through developments that support sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Robinsons Land delivered solid financial results and sustained its growth momentum in the first quarter of 2026.

RLC's consolidated revenues rose 11% year on year to 12.28 billion pesos, supported by solid contributions from both the investment and development portfolios. Operating profitability remained healthy with EBITDA increasing by 5% to 6.59 billion pesos.

Growth was tempered by higher utility expenses due to a lower comparative cost base in the first quarter of 2025. The subsequent power rate adjustments were implemented in the second quarter of 2025.

Core earnings momentum remained strong as net income expanded by 9% to 4.4 billion pesos. The faster growth versus EBITDA was mainly driven by lower financing costs due to repayment of debt and a reduced effective tax rate following the additional batch of asset infusions into RCR in the third quarter of 2025.

Meanwhile, net income attributable to parent increased 2% to 3.54 billion pesos. The comparatively slower growth was primarily due to the higher minority ownership in RCR, which increased to 44.33% from 36.13%, following the block placement of RCR shares made in January 2026.

Recall that last year's initial block placement was conducted in April of 2025. Turning to our balance sheet, total assets increased by 4% to 286 billion pesos as of the end of the first quarter, mainly driven by higher cash balances from strong operating cash flows and proceeds from our block placement of RCR shares.

Total liabilities rose modestly by 1% to 91.39 billion pesos, primarily due to the timed payments related to ongoing projects and operating expenditures. Meanwhile, total equity strengthened by 6% to 194.99 billion pesos, while parent equity increased by 5% to 184.91 billion pesos, largely driven by the additional equity reserves recognized from the recent block placement.

Total interest-bearing debt remained steady at 39.55 billion pesos. Coupled with a higher cash position, this resulted in a further improvement in net debt to equity to 9.64%, reinforcing the strength of RLC's balance sheet and conservative leverage profile.

From a cash flow perspective, cash and cash equivalents increased to 21.72 billion pesos, mainly driven by its robust operating cash flow and complemented by a successful 7 billion peso block placement in January 2026. During the quarter, RLC deployed 3.25 billion pesos in capital expenditures to support ongoing developments and expansion initiatives, resulting in positive free cash flow of 4.47 billion pesos.

RLC maintained its low debt level from year-end 2025 with total debt at 39.7 billion pesos. The lower debt base was achieved through debt repayments made last year, which were supported by strong positive operating cash flows and additional liquidity generated from block placement proceeds.

Around 72% of the borrowings are fixed-rate, providing stability against interest rate movements, while 28% are floating. The debt portfolio consists of 24 billion pesos in bonds and 15.7 billion pesos in long-term bank loans, with an effective interest rate of 5.7% and weighted average maturity of 1.7 years.

Overall, RLC continues to maintain a healthy and manageable debt profile, supported by strong cash generation and disciplined capital management. RLC delivered another strong quarter in the first quarter of 2026, building on its full-year momentum.

Consolidated revenues reached 12.28 billion pesos, representing an 11% year-on-year increase, driven by the strong performance of both our investment and development portfolios. EBITDA grew by 5% to 6.59 billion pesos, with growth moderating relative to revenues, mainly due to higher utility costs following power rate adjustments implemented subsequent to the prior period, which resulted in a lower utility cost base in 2025 in the first quarter of 2025.

EBIT grew by 4%, with growth tempered by higher depreciation charges arising from newly operating assets. These are namely Pagadian Mall, GBF Tower 2, and Iloilo Tower 3 offices, NUSTAR Hotel Cebu, and the newly completed warehouses in Calamba and San Fernando.

Meanwhile, net income increased by 9% to 4.4 billion pesos, outpacing EBITDA growth, mainly due to lower interest expense and a lower effective income tax rate following the infusion of additional assets into RCR during the third quarter of 2025. Net income attributable to parent grew by 2% to 3.54 billion pesos.

The more modest increase was mainly due to higher minority interest in RCR at 44.33% this year versus 36.13% last year, following the successful 7 billion pesos worth of block placements of our RCR stake in January of 2026. Compared to the previous quarter, revenues declined due to the seasonally stronger holiday-driven performance in the fourth quarter.

Despite the softer top line, EBITDA and EBIT only decreased marginally, reflecting the efficiency of the company's operating performance. Meanwhile, net income attributable to parent increased by 7% quarter on quarter, mainly driven by lower interest expense, lower effective income tax rates following the previously mentioned asset infusion to RCR.

RLC's portfolio remains strategically anchored on its investment portfolio, which continues to be the company's primary driver of revenues and earnings. For the first quarter, the investment portfolio contributed 75% of consolidated revenues and accounted for 85% and 81% of consolidated EBITDA and EBIT, respectively.

The malls division remained the largest contributor within the investment portfolio. Mall revenues increased mainly due to rental escalations across existing properties, resulting in the same-mall rental growth of 4% year on year alongside contributions from newly opened Pagadian Mall and higher amusement revenues.

EBITDA growth was moderated by higher power rates, while EBIT growth was further tempered by additional depreciation of the new mall. Meanwhile, the development portfolio accounted for the remaining 25% of consolidated revenues and contributed 15% and 19% of consolidated EBITDA and EBIT, respectively, driven by the group's organic residential projects.

Residential revenues increased mainly as four contracts from prior years reached the equity threshold, coupled with higher percentage of completion recognition from ongoing projects. EBITDA and EBIT grew at a faster pace than revenues due to lower marketing and advertising expenses, sustaining the positive momentum for the development portfolio.

A more detailed discussion of each business unit's performance will be presented in the succeeding slides. In January 2026, Robinsons Land successfully completed its fifth block placement of shares in RCR, selling approximately 96 946 million RCR common shares through an overnight accelerated block placement at 7 pesos and 40 centavos per share, generating gross proceeds of 7 billion pesos.

The transaction was well received by the market and increased RCR's public float to 44.18%, further improving trading liquidity and broadening the investor base, while proceeds from the placements were used to strengthen RLC's liquidity position and support debt reduction. Overall, the transaction demonstrates RLC's continued ability to unlock value from its investment portfolio through disciplined capital recycling initiatives.

RCR was recently included in the recent Philippine Stock Exchange Index, or PSEi, becoming one of its newest constituents effective February of 2026. In addition to the PSEi, RCR is also included in several major indices such as the PSE Dividend Yield Index, MSCI, FTSE, Russell, which enhances its visibility among global institutional investors.

Overall, this milestone reflects the continued growth, liquidity, and market relevance of RCR, further strengthening its position in the Philippine capital markets. RCR continues to play an increasingly significant role in RLC's consolidated financial performance, supported by its expanding portfolio and growing recurring income base.

During the quarter, RCR generated 3.32 billion pesos in revenues, accounting for 27% of RLC's consolidated revenues. EBITDA increased by 40% year on year to 2.75 billion pesos, while net income rose by 34% to 2.37 billion pesos, mainly driven by the infusion of nine malls completed last year, which further expanded RCR's income-generating capacity.

Net of minority interest, RCR contributed approximately 51% of RLC's net income attributable to parent, highlighting its growing importance within the group's earnings mix. Dividends per share increased by 6% year on year, reflecting RCR's continued ability to deliver stable and growing shareholder returns.

As of the first quarter of 2026, RCR's portfolio comprises of 38 premium assets with 17 office properties and 21 malls strategically located across 25 unique key locations nationwide, with a gross leasable area of 1.15 million square meters. Portfolio occupancy remained strong at 96%, while weighted average lease expiry stands at 4.03 years.

In terms of tenant mix, retail tenants account for 47%, BPOs at 46%, with the balance coming from traditional offices and CIPs, reflecting a well-diversified and resilient tenant base. Overall, RCR continues to be a vital contributor to RLC's recurring income and serves as a strategic platform for future asset monetization and capital recycling.

I now turn you over to Mr. Ramon Rivero for the operational highlights per business unit.

Ramon Rivero

Thank you, Mr. Kerwin Tan, and good afternoon to everyone in the call.

Moving forward to our business units' performance, for the first quarter of 2026, our malls business delivered strong results. Revenues increased by 7% to 5.06 billion pesos, primarily driven by 5% growth in rental revenues to 3.73 billion pesos, with same-mall rental revenue growth at 4%, coupled with the sustained improvement in foot traffic across our portfolio.

Profitability also strengthened. EBITDA rose to 3.08 billion pesos, while EBIT reached 2.17 billion pesos, representing 3% and 2% growth, respectively.

Operationally, we maintained a 94% occupancy rate, ahead of the industry average of 92.3%. Today, Robinsons Malls spans approximately 1.7 million square meters of leasable space, reflecting continued tenant confidence and the resilience of consumer activity across our markets.

Beyond retail, our office portfolio continues to provide another strong pillar of recurring income, supported by stable demand from the BPO sector and our focus on well-located office developments. Our Robinsons Offices segment also delivered solid performance.

First quarter revenues increased by 8% to 2.17 billion pesos, primarily from the contributions of newly operational offices in Bridgetowne, GBF Tower 2, and Iloilo Tower 3, as well as the completion of additional work-enabled centers in GBF Tower 1 and Robinsons Summit Center. However, growth in EBITDA and EBIT was partially tempered by higher repairs and maintenance and increased power rates, with EBITDA at 1.71 billion pesos and EBIT at 1.40 billion pesos, both growing 6%.

Occupancy in our same office spaces improved by 100 basis points to 86%, continuing to outperform industry levels, supported by new tenant take-ups. The BPO sector remains our anchor, accounting for 82% of total occupancy, while our weighted average lease expiry of 4.13 years continued to provide strong visibility and stability for our recurring income.

Complementing our commercial portfolio, our hospitality segment continues to benefit from the recovery and travel and tourism, with improving occupancy and stronger guest volumes across our brands. For Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, our first quarter performance was particularly strong, with revenues reaching 1.72 billion pesos, up 14% year on year.

Growth was mainly driven by improved operations of Fili Urban Resort and The Westin Manila, alongside contributions from the newly opened NUSTAR Hotel Cebu. Operationally, system-wide remained flat year on year at 66%, reflecting steady demand and stable tourist arrivals for the first quarter of the year.

Profitability also improved, with EBITDA rising 10% to 537 million pesos, and EBIT increasing 6% to 294 million pesos, supported by better operating leverage as demand continued to recover. Importantly, around 74% of total revenues now come from our international brands, luxury hotels, and our own brand Fili and NUSTAR, reflecting our strategic shift towards higher-yield hospitality assets.

Within our investment portfolio, we continue to strengthen our logistics and industrial platform, which played an increasingly important role in supporting the country's growing supply chain and e-commerce ecosystem. For our logistics and industrial facilities, we continue to see steady progress.

For the first quarter, revenues reached 269 million pesos, reflecting sustained demand for well-located logistics assets. Operationally, the segment delivered strong results with EBITDA at 250 million pesos and EBIT at 194 million pesos, underscoring the efficiency and resilience of our logistics platform.

As of year-end, we operate 15 industrial facilities located across key strategic logistics hubs, maintaining an 84% occupancy rate, which reflects the continued expansion of logistics and supply chain activity in the country. Moving on to our development portfolio, for the first quarter of 2026, we generated 3.74 billion pesos in net sales from both organic and joint venture projects, reflecting a 319% year-on-year increase.

Realized residential revenues strengthened in the first quarter, increasing 39% year on year to 2.72 billion pesos, driven by revenue recognition from prior-year sales that reached the equity threshold, coupled with a higher percentage of completion recognition from ongoing projects. Profitability also substantially improved due to lower marketing and advertising expenses.

EBITDA rose 55% to 754 million pesos, while EBIT increased 58% to 715 million pesos, reflecting stronger operating leverage as revenue recognition accelerated. Additionally, equity earnings from joint ventures contributed 181 million pesos, reinforcing the diversification of our earnings base.

For destination estates, we generated 161 million pesos in property development revenues, mainly from deferred land sales to our joint ventures, reflecting the steady monetization of our development pipeline. EBITDA reached 82 million pesos, while EBIT stood at 72 million pesos, demonstrating consistent performance from our estate development activities.

During the first quarter, we spent 3.25 billion pesos in capital expenditures, aligned with our strategic development pipeline across malls, hotels, offices, logistics facilities, land banking, and residential projects. This disciplined investment approach supports long-term growth and portfolio diversification.

For future plans, we are on track to significantly expand our portfolio through 2030 under our Vision 5-25-50, with malls reaching 2.4 million gross leasable area, offices growing by over 50% to 1.28 million GLA, and logistics more than doubling to 600,000 gross leasable area. Our hotel portfolio will likewise grow, with room capacity increasing by 35% to 5,681 keys.

For calendar year 2025, Robinsons Land is declaring its highest dividend per share at 1 peso per share, reflecting the company's continued strong earnings performance and commitment to shareholder returns. This brings our dividend payout ratio to 36%, likewise the highest on record, and well above our stated policy of maintaining at least 20% of recurring net income.

This milestone reflects the company's strong earnings performance, disciplined capital management, and commitment to delivering consistent shareholder returns. As we conclude, we recognize that we continue to operate in an environment shaped by global uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions and energy-related pressures.

However, this is not unfamiliar territory for us. We have navigated multiple cycles in the past, and resilience remains deeply embedded in our organization.

We move forward with discipline and focus, confident in our ability to navigate volatility while continuing to deliver sustainable, long-term value. This ends our presentation, and we are now open for your questions.

Thank you.

Operator

Some housekeeping rules for the question and answer session: ask a question, please either raise your hand or put it in the Q&A box. When your name is called upon, you can start your question.

Our first question comes from Francis, Francis Paul Padit from BPI. You can ask a question, Francis.

Francis Paul Padit

Thanks, Rom. Good afternoon, everyone.

Would like to check if I'm audible.

Operator

Yes, we can hear you, Francis.

Francis Paul Padit

Thank you. I have three questions.

My first question is about RCR. For the first quarter, any color on the rental rate reversal for renewed office and mall leasing?

Faraday D. Go

It's flat for the offices. For the malls, it's actually higher.

Francis Paul Padit

Thank you for that. For my next question, for RLC, take-up grew threefold led by the joint ventures pre-sales, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm just curious, no? Can you provide more color on what happened in the pre-sales during the first quarter and what RLC did differently during this period, this time around, to achieve this growth compared to the previous period, particularly on the joint ventures?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Hi, this is Mybelle. For the joint ventures, it's really mirroring the marketing initiatives that our organic sales force has been implementing, and this has proven to be very successful.

Notably, we prefer to roll out packages that are terms-based rather than going for deeper discounting. That has proven to be quite successful for the joint ventures.

For our organic projects, our focus is really on clearing our RFO inventory. In the previous quarter, we were able to clear out much of it, and as we completed two more projects, we're adding to the RFO inventory, so that will remain to be our focus as we clear that out also in the succeeding quarters.

Francis Paul Padit

Thanks, Ma'am Mybelle. Just a follow-up on the joint venture number.

Can you provide color or if ever any information which projects contributed mostly to the joint venture number?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Two key projects that contributed to this were number one is Aurelia in BGC. That's our joint venture with Shangri-La.

Also The Velaris in Bridgetowne, which is our joint venture with Hongkong Land. There's a bigger push for the sell-out as both are Well, Aurelia, we've started to turn over, we saw increased selling of remaining units.

The same is true for Velaris as we are nearing completion.

Francis Paul Padit

Thank you so much for that color, Ma'am Mybelle. For my last question, I guess this is more on the Robinsons Malls.

As we know, of course, there's lingering macro pressures which might have affect the sentiments on the malls. On mall footfall, are there any indicators that you could provide for the month of March and April regarding mall footfall and tenant sentiments?

Faraday D. Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates):

Faraday D. Go

For mall footfall, what I have is for the first quarter and for April. The first quarter, we're up same malls at 5%.

We're up versus last year, and March would be about 5% as well. For the month of April, we see it sustained basically.

It's sustained levels.

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

For footfall. Faraday D.

Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates):

Faraday D. Go

For footfall. The other was on

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

This is also despite a reduction in the [unclear]

Faraday D. Go

footfall. Faraday D.

Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates): Tenant sentiments.

Tina Real-Lim

For tenant sentiments, what they've seen now from Robinsons Malls, the affected ones are the non-leasing stores, but for malls since it's because of the hot temperature summer,

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

it's working for us.

Tina Real-Lim

It's working for the malls.

Francis Paul Padit

Got this. Thank you so much.

Operator

Okay. Next question will be coming from Jelline Gaza of JPMorgan.

Jelline, you may ask the question.

Jelline Gaza

Hello. Good afternoon.

Thank you for acknowledging raised hand. My first question is actually a follow-up on the JV pre-sales.

Can you give us some idea whether or not you've seen this similar strength going into second quarter, and what is your outlook with regards to the impact of Middle East conflict with your premium JV projects? If you have the data, can you also please share the unsold inventory level for the JV projects alone?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Jelline, hi. Mybelle again.

We see the performance of the JVs to be sustained in, well, at least for April, no, and early part of May. With the Middle East conflict, it might soften, but it's too early to really say what it will be or how it will unfold for the JVs.

We have combined all of our JVs inventory of 11.2 billion. Unsold.

Jelline Gaza

Unsold inventory. Got it.

Thank you, Miss Mybelle. My second question is on the power cost.

It was discussed earlier that that's been a driver of slower EBITDA and EBIT growth for both malls and offices. Can you give us an idea about how this will be tackled going forward?

Do you have intention to implement changes in common area charges or how should we think about the higher coverage of renewable usage for RLC compared to peers, any guidance on that margin trajectory for both office and malls?

Faraday D. Go

Faraday D. Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates): For our power cost, no, we are under retail electricity supply, we contract directly with power producers.

We have some expiries coming in this June, by July, we expect power rates actually be that even better. From a certain rate, we have a reduction in power rates by about 10% around July, it should be felt in July.

Then, of course, we have our solar panels as well in our roofs. I think currently we're about 30 over 36 megawatts already combined.

Ramon Rivero

For the malls

Faraday D. Go

alone, yeah. We have all our energy conservation efforts that are ongoing for our different properties.

Then

Ramon Rivero

James Arco will answer for the office. James?

Yeah.

James Arco

Hi, Jelline. Good afternoon.

James from Offices. For offices, we're actually ongoing study of the increase of common area utility rates.

I'm seeing an average of 5% increase. In terms of energy, most of our Metro Manila offices are already on 100% renewable energy.

We're contracted up to 2030. That move has kind of made us stable in our electricity costs, we just need to work on the provincial buildings right now.

Faraday D. Go

Thank you, James.

Jelline Gaza

All considered, can we say that there could be some expansion or recovery in margins in the leasing, both malls and offices, given potential change in CUSA charges for office, and then recontracting of RES supply at malls? Faraday D.

Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates):

James Arco

Yes, there should be some improvements on the cost with regards to that, yes.

Jelline Gaza

Understood. Thank you.

My last question is on the dividend payout. It's been the record high at 36%.

Is management in a position to guide us what to expect for 2027 and if there will be any changes on the frequency of declaration? Thank you.

Kerwin Tan

Thanks, Jelline. This is an offshoot of our positive free cash flow complemented by successful block placements that we've done in last year.

With the rate our performance is going, we think this can be sustained going forward.

Jelline Gaza

How about your appetite for further expansion and transition from annual declaration to maybe semi-annual or quarterly?

Kerwin Tan

We're open to it, but as of the moment, we are initially declaring this 1 peso per share dividend for this.

Jelline Gaza

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you, Jelline. Next question on the raised hand will be coming from Carl Sy of Regis Partners.

Carl?

Carl Sy

Good afternoon. I'd just like to ask first if you can hear me.

Operator

Yes, Carl, we can hear you.

Carl Sy

Thank you. I'll ask some questions which are sort of follow-ups from the items already asked by Jelline and [coughs] Francis Paul.

For the JV residential business, let me just confirm. You mentioned earlier you've instituted some packages, and these are really changes to the payment scheme rather than discounting.

Did I hear correctly?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Correct.

Carl Sy

Great.

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Correct.

Carl Sy

Okay. Could you help give us an idea of what this change is?

[laughs] What is the change in payment scheme?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

It's a combination, Carl, of lower down payments and some extensions on the amortizations.

Carl Sy

Understand.

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Now We opted to protect the margins.

Carl Sy

Sorry, I didn't hear that part. Could you repeat that?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

We are opting to protect margins rather than giving out deeper discounts in order to move the inventory.

Carl Sy

Thank you. Now also you mentioned that Aurelia contributed a good amount, I guess, in the first quarter on reservation sales.

Now, let me confirm if let's say for the sales you made of Aurelia in the first quarter, did they already contribute to earnings in the first quarter, because it's a completed project, right?

Faraday D. Go

Yes, it did contribute to our

Carl Sy

Already completed. Got it.

On the mall business this time, I'll ask. It was mentioned that same-mall rental revenue growth was 4%.

From what I recall, this was roughly 7% last year. It looks actually like a slower number to me relative to last year.

Again, right, 7% or 8% is a good number, could you discuss what happened, why it might be slower, or is it just a high-base effect?

Faraday D. Go

Yes, high-base effect.

Carl Sy

Okay. With respect to the utilities this time, let me ask a couple of things.

It was mentioned during the previous briefing that 80-plus percent of the utility requirements of its leasing business was already locked in until, I think, end 2027. Is that still the case now?

Faraday D. Go

Faraday D. Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates): The expiries vary, but we have certain contracts that give us opt-out options if we find a better rate in the middle of the contract.

One of them has a 20 June 2026 opt-out option, which allows us to get a better supplier rate in June 2026. A large chunk is as well locked in.

As mentioned earlier, for offices, we have a renewable energy until 2030, that's locked in.

Carl Sy

Understand. Actually also okay.

That explains a lot. It's because you actually have options to opt out in case you can find a better deal.

Understood. You are saying that right now, it looks like there are better deals.

I ask because I would imagine the Iran conflict has caused fuel prices to go up. You're saying that there are good deals some in the market.

Faraday D. Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates):

Faraday D. Go

Yes, I think the increase is mainly on the oil, but I think the coal and renewable energy and other sources are actually not as affected.

Carl Sy

Understand. Actually on the conflict in the Middle East, it sounds so far as if you haven't noticed any impact, but please correct me if I'm wrong there.

I would be interested if you've noticed any impact on your operations, and looking ahead, do you plan to make any adjustments to your plans? Faraday D.

Go (Executive Vice President and General Manager for Malls and Destination Estates): For

Faraday D. Go

April, we see it sustained as last year. It's about flat basically for April.

Carl Sy

Again looking ahead and for any of the segments or the company overall, are there plans to make adjustments on anything?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

I think amongst the business units, possibly what would be most impacted would be the residential segment. That's why we intend to continue with focus on targeting the end users because we anticipate that the speculative investments might be affected by this Middle East conflict, as Filipinos or globally there's a a wait-and-see on higher investments, higher-value investments.

Otherwise, for the malls, we see, well, the the for now for April, it's a flat performance. Offices, we've already locked in our our contracts.

Hotels, we're actually benefiting from, well, the the recent ASEAN and then also Balikatan. Our our hotel, it's doing very well.

We've seen increased contribution from our F&B. Then also for, well, back to the the mall, really.

As the the dollar, what as the peso is depreciating, it actually benefits us in a number of ways. The the OFW remittances are are sustained, so as it trickles down to consumption, it also helps the mall in a significant way.

As corporate offices in in other countries try to pursue cost savings, then it also benefits our office business.

Carl Sy

Okay. I'll ask about construction, if I may, if the prices of raw materials have gone up, if you're experiencing supply chain issues, is there any slowdown in construction?

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

I think I'm reading the chat box. There's also a similar question, I'll answer both your question, Carl, and the one on the chat.

First is contractors initiated the re-negotiation of contract terms. There have been a couple of contractors who have signified the plan to adjust their costs or their prices, but nothing has really been in pursuit.

It's more of an advanced communication to us. Having said that, as we had recently bidded out some contract packages, we were pleasantly surprised to find that some of the previously quoted prices had gone down, and I think this is an offshoot of the general slowdown of other developers.

From a supply-demand framework, if the demand is less, then of course the contractors and suppliers would now have less power to price up their goods and services, no? What was the other question?

I think I answered them. No slowdown.

No slowdown on our part. You were also asking about the other prices, no?

For cement, which is an owner-supplied material for us, we have been able to lock in the prices until the end of the year. Other supply inputs like rebars and aluminum, we've seen increases as well.

However, because of our discipline in budgeting for contingencies and also our ability to leverage our pricing power given the scale of our construction requirements, we have been able to cover those incremental costs.

Carl Sy

Understand. Thank you.

Those were all my questions.

Operator

Moving on to another form of question from the Q&A. First one from Mikey Franco: number one first question: "Is the 36% payout ratio..."

answered that. Number two: "...on residential project..."

answered also. Franco, we've answered both first and second question.

Then another question from Renz of CLSA: number three: "When is the next planned asset infusion and any details as to size and properties involved?"

Kerwin Tan

For RCR, the next planned asset infusion will probably be announced in the next 3 months. This is more likely to be malls, and we probably would do more than one infusion this year.

It's all depends on market conditions as well.

Operator

Okay. Then again for Renz of CLSA: "What specific project drove JV residential sales take-up?"

Kerwin Tan

Answered already.

Operator

Answered

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

already.

Operator

That's okay. How about number two: "Could you provide more color on investor appetite for RCR shares following the 7 billion block

Kerwin Tan

sale?" The RLC's ownership in RCR is currently at 55%, right?

This provides ample room for subsequent infusions and should drive investor appetite to be higher, yeah. Then

Operator

one more question from Amanda Lai: "Hi. How does management think around balance sheet management?

Example: allocation of operating cash flow, debt versus equity to fund capex, what gearing levels are optimal?" Yes,

Kerwin Tan

we have a healthy balance sheet right now, and as mentioned earlier, we have 21 billion pesos in cash reserves, right? We feel it prudent in terms of capital allocation is that in the meantime while we are waiting for projects to be billed to us or capex spending has to be made, we find it prudent to pay off debt first.

If there's a need where there are available avenues for us to allocate capital accordingly.

Operator

"At what yields would you pause on injecting asset into RCR?" Again from Amanda Lai.

Kerwin Tan

At the end of the day, the yields is basically is a function of interest rates, right? Currently we still find yields to be attractive for RCR, and we will still continue pursuing injecting more assets into RCR.

As mentioned earlier, the injection of RCR assets into RCR benefits us in two ways, right? We are able to crystallize the value of RLC by monetizing these assets, and secondly, because of the REIT framework, we are able to obtain tax incentives, which will thereby increase our bottom line for RLC.

Operator

Thank you, Mr. Kerwin.

Again, if you have questions, please use the raise hand or the Q&A box. If there's no more further question, I will now hand you over to Mybelle to give her closing remarks.

Mybelle Aragon-GoBio

Good afternoon again. Thank you for joining us today.

While we spent this call reviewing our recent financial metrics, I think that these results are really best appreciated when viewed as the outcome of a strategic foundation that we have laid years ago. Our performance this quarter is a clear validation of the soundness of the foresight and intentionality that we have established back then.

We made a deliberate strategic decision early on to pivot our portfolio towards high recurring income and the disciplined accumulation of deep cash reserves. Today, the foresight of that move is evident.

Our cash position has reached an all-time high, establishing a robust financial cushion that serves as a cornerstone of our risk management strategy. This early pivot was further strengthened and crystallized through our Vision 5-25-50.

By adhering to this vision, we have gained the flexibility to navigate market volatility, the conviction to deliver on our commitments, and the confidence to pursue emerging opportunities. Our aggressive capital recycling strategy continues to optimize our balance sheet, enhancing profitability through RCR, and further unlocking the intrinsic value of our company.

Most importantly, the sustained financial strength has allowed us to deliver a milestone in shareholder returns: a 1 peso per share dividend distribution, the first in RLC's history. Our investment portfolio continues to deliver resilient recurring income, supported by rental escalations, strong tenant performance, and operational efficiencies across our malls, offices, hotels, and logistics facilities.

This stability is a direct result of our long-term commitment to high-quality, recurring revenue streams. Simultaneously, our development portfolio is gaining momentum as more projects reach completion and revenue recognition stages.

We remain focused on strategies that strengthen the sustainability and profitability of this segment, ensuring it complements our broader investment goals. Amid current global uncertainties, RLC remains steadfast.

Our ability to sustain earnings momentum is not a matter of chance, but the result of a diversified portfolio, disciplined financial management, and a long-term operating approach that we have refined over the decades. Headwinds and market disruptions are not new to us.

We have successfully navigated multiple economic cycles through prudent decision-making and a strong focus on sustainability and resilience. The disruptions we see today simply allow us to activate risk mitigation measures while also presenting opportunities that we are well-positioned to capitalize on.

This is an approach that continues to shape how we manage the business today. With a strong balance sheet, healthy liquidity, and stable cash flows, RLC is well-positioned to continue delivering sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders.

Thank you for your continued trust and participation.

Operator

Thank you, Ms. Mybelle, and thank you, everyone, for participation.

You may now all disconnect.